Normal
by Dana-Eliza
Summary: "Will you go out with us?" Tai's day started out perfectly normal, it ended in anything but. / A story where both Matt and Sora decide they would like to date Tai as well. TaixMattxSora
1. Chapter 1

And I started another new story, because I am still in Digimon hell! I never really considered this ship, until I read a story where it was mentioned, and then I was intrigued. So I had my fun with it! I don't know how long this will be, and I am not entirely sure about the rating yet... So maybe smut, maybe no smut... Anyway hope you enjoy the first bit!

...

"Will you go out with us?"

Tai's day had started out quite normal. He had snoozed his alarm two times, then was woken by Kari, because the third time he had accidentally turned his alarm of. There was no time left for a shower, but it's not like that hadn't happened before. His breakfast consisted of stuffing a bread roll between his lips as he waved a goodbye to his mother, before hurrying out the door. Really the most normal, or let's say afternoon Tai could have.

And it didn't immediately go down hill from there. He wasn't late for school, he was only a little bit late in meeting his friends. Those friends were very much used to it, and only gave him a little bit of a hard time. Nothing Tai couldn't handle though. It really was the most normal day Tai could've hoped for.

Of course it is a little weird to hang out with a couple, but Tai has known Sora for the longest time, and Matt really was his best friend. They both were. And thankfully they weren't overly clingy to one another whenever they were together, so Tai hardly noticed they were a couple to begin with. At least this was the case during their usual meet-ups. They'd go to a movie, have a bite to eat, go for a walk. All in good fun. They shared laughs, and little anecdotes of things that happened in their lives. It was just nice to be this close with friends.

But this, this was usually the case. This was how a normal meet-up would have gone. Apparently this was not a normal meet-up. It all started with Sora hugging him just a bit too long in greeting, and then even Matt going in for a hug. They never hugged! And then Sora decided it was a good idea to hold Tai's arm as they walked to their usual spot at the pier. Wasn't she supposed to be doing this with Matt? And why was Matt just giving him a soft smile like it was the most normal thing in the world. This was anything besides normal.

The breaking point though, the breaking point. The moment where Tai really could not rationalize it all away and pretend this was normal, was when he was looking out over the water, and he felt an arm wrap around his shoulder. That arm belonged to Matt, who even pulled Tai closer to him, as he stared at a passing boat, pretending that they had done this all the time. Okay, Tai will admit they had held hands when they were children, and had been very close when they were about to die?! But this moment, right here, was not a life or death kind of thing. This was not how they usually behaved around one another.

This was not normal.

Pushing Matt's arm off Tai created some distance between himself and the couple, shooting them a defiant glare. "Okay, what the hell is going on? You are acting really weird!" he accused. Perhaps not the most tactful thing to do, but no one had ever claimed he possessed tact anyway.

Guiltily Sora and Matt looked at each other, a cute blush spreading on Sora's cheeks, and a very dark flush appearing on Matt's neck. Eventually they nodded at one another, making this situation even more abnormal than it already was, and turned back to Tai. "So, you know we care a lot about you, right?" Sora started.

"And you are very important to us," Matt added to that.

A bit confused Tai moved his gaze from Sora to Matt, and then back to Sora. Of course he knew he was important to them. They were best friends. And then it dawned on him what they could be asking for. "Are you two getting married and want my blessing or something? Because you got it," Tai replied, throwing his arms out as emphasizes. They could get married tomorrow for all he cared, as long as he was the best man of either of them. He better be someone's best man.

"Ah, n-no, not quite." Sora hesitated, glancing down at the pavement. A stab in the side of Sora's elbow, delivered to Matt, told him he needed to step in again.

For a moment Tai thought normalcy had returned, after he had figured out what it was what they wanted. Now that he was wrong, and they were acting even stranger, normalcy was something that would never return again. If they were going to keep acting this way, Tai was just going to go home, dive back into his bed, and pretend Kari had never woken him up. Honestly seemed like the safest option at this point.

"So we've been talking," Matt started, after being silent far too long, worrying his lip. Sora nodded at that line, muttering a quick "yes, yes" as if that had made sense. "We really like you, and love to spend time with you. We just feel like when you are around, we feel better as well, and uh… Sora?"

Warily Tai followed Matt's gaze back to Sora, the last few lines really freaking him out a little bit. Was one of them dying? And did they just want to make sure when one gone, the other was still being taken care of? Oh god, Matt was not going to ask Tai if he would take Matt's place when he died, right?

The desperate look Sora was shooting Tai said something different though. What it was, Tai had no clue, but it was scary. What the hell was wrong with these people?! Tai found out as soon as Sora blurted the words, practically yelling at Tai to make it come across.

"Will you go out with us?"

Wait.

Did she just?

Two pairs of eyes were looking at him expectantly, waiting on some kind of answer. What kind of answer was Tai supposed to give here? What the hell kind of question was that anyway? Going out, with them? Both of them? At the same time? Is that a thing? What does that mean? See, he could not give an answer, he could only give more questions.

"You don't have to reply right away. You can think about it a little before you decide," Sora spoke softly.

Tai only lifted his forefinger to silence them. Perhaps he looked quite cool and collected, just standing there processing everything. He was everything but though. It was as if his brain had exploded and he was not trying to piece it back together, in search of something to say. Anything really. As long as words were able to come out of his mouth, that was fine.

In the end he could only reply with throwing his arms out, and motioning at them how they must've lost their mind, while saying "what?"

They looked at each other again, this time sharing a confused moment. "We, uh, you know. We want to take you out on a date," Matt elaborated, as if Tai had not gotten that. As if he really was that dense. Tai knew what asking someone out meant. Tai had tried it before. Had even succeeded a few times. He really was not that dim-witted.

"I got that," Tai said, picking up the sarcastic tone Kari tended to use. "I meant," he said calmly. "What the hell are you thinking? Why the hell do you even want to? What is this? Is this some kind of joke?" he said not so calmly.

A bit taken aback by Tai's sudden outburst the couple just stared at him for a moment, until it finally dawned on them what Tai was getting at. Matt took a step forward, wanting to give some comfort to his friend, but Tai didn't really appreciate the gesture. Instantly he threw his hands up in defence, telling Matt he did not want him to come any closer.

Rubbing his face in frustration Matt tried to come up with something to say. They had hoped this would've gone easy. That Tai would've been thinking the same as them, with them hanging out as much as they did lately. Unfortunately for them that was not the case. They couldn't really blame him though. Why would someone even think of dating a couple? "We just…"

"For the love of everything that is holy, could you please stop talking with 'we', as in you and Sora?" Tai interrupted, forcing Matt to reconsider what he was about to say.

"Alright," he started, shifting from one foot to the other. "Ever since you started hanging out with his more, I've started noticing something in myself. I noticed how I loved how you could make Sora smile. And I noticed how much I like it when you challenge my beliefs, as you've always done, but this time on a more personal level. I've noticed that you have elevated our relationship ever since you started accompanying us on our dates."

"And I really love how passionately you and Matt can bicker, showing off how much you both really care. But most of all I love how you have remained my best friend through it all, and I realised I wanted to have you around even more often," Sora added.

Those really were some amazing speeches, and Tai had to admit he felt quite flattered. He just didn't get it. What did they actually want from him? Wasn't this all a sign that they maybe didn't work as well as they once thought? Adding a third person to the mix was not going to fix the problems they may already have.

As Tai anticipated this all, he hadn't noticed how they had silently stepped closer to him, right until Sora grabbed his hand and squeezed it softly. "Don't get us wrong, Tai. We're not unhappy together. We both separately realised, that we would simply be even happier with you added to our relationship."

A hand landed on his shoulder, Matt bringing his face a little closer, trying to put Tai a bit more at ease. Not that something like that was going to happen now. "And if it doesn't work out, that's okay. There will be no hard feelings, and we'll still remain friends. No matter what, we don't want to lose you as a part of our lives," Matt said.

It was all almost poetic, as if they had rehearsed saying all this. Maybe they had. Maybe they had planned this moment far ahead of time, figuring out how to tell Tai, so they would get the best outcome.

The warmth their bodies were emitting made Tai shiver strangely enough. He wanted to step away from them, distance himself from this entire situation, and forget about the whole ordeal. But on the other he wanted to relish in their words, in their company, and experience the feelings they have had for a little while already. Part of him really wanted to find out what it would be like.

"Damnit," he exclaimed. "Fine. But I do expect to be swept off my feet and have the best date I've ever had. I mean you both know me really well, so I think you can pull of an amazing date for me. I want to be pampered!"

The soft chuckle that left Matt's lips, accompanied by Sora's sweet smile made a lump form in Tai's throat. Seeing how happy his answer made them seemed strange, but Tai had already established that nothing was normal about all this.

"We'll take you on the best date you've ever had," Matt said, squeezing his shoulder.

The hug Sora then pulled Tai in was not entirely expected, but he hugged her back nonetheless. "Thank you for going out with us, Tai. You have no idea how much it means to us."

Maybe he liked things not being normal.

...

Let me know what you thought of this chapter!

For updates on when I am writing, follow me on instagram. I sometimes mention it in my story. At: dana dot eliza

Love, Dana


	2. Chapter 2

For my standards this is a very long chapter, but lord had I fun writing this! I hope you'll enjoy as well! It is the start of the date...

...

"I'm going out!"

Tai normally didn't lie, didn't really like lying. Tai definitely didn't lie to his sister. On one hand because lying to your family was not done, on the other because Kari instantly knew when Tai was lying. She was far too intuitive for her own good. Made for some very awkward situations in the past when Tai had been in the shower, having a… private moment. Kari would complain that he was taking too long. He would yell back that he was washing his hair, hoping she'd leave, and give him a moment to himself. It is a bit weird to give yourself a hand when your sister is talking to you. Unfortunately Kari always knew Tai was not washing his hair, and would call him out on his bullshit.

It indeed always ended up with Tai not finishing and Kari happily under the shower herself.

But that was just a little lie. No one would be harmed by it, and no one could get hurt. Well, except maybe Tai, but Kari was not one to tease him with these things. That would've been very weird.

Right now Tai was telling a big lie, at least it felt like one. He could reason that this was not the case, that he was not lying to Kari at all. It simply didn't feel right. In any normal situation Tai would've told Kari. She knew exactly who Tai dated and for how long. It simply was how their relationship worked as brother and sister. But this he had to keep a secret. Spilling the beans about going on a date with his best friends, as in two people, at the same time, was not the best idea. At least not to Tai, and Matt and Sora for that matter. They agreed to not tell anyone until they were certain it worked out. If it didn't, they wouldn't tell anyone, ever.

This meant he had to lie to Kari, and he felt godawful about it.

"Where are you going?" Kari was sitting at the bar in the kitchen, books spread out in front of her. The good student in her had forced her to stay inside and work on homework while others were enjoying the day outside.

An expected question, but still a very unwelcomed one. This was where Tai had to lie. Turning around he faced his sister, plastering a hopefully convincing smile on his lips. "Just hanging out with Matt and Sora. We'll grab some dinner too."

Kari looked at him for the longest time, twirling her pen in her hand as she contemplated Tai's words. Of course the girl instantly knew something was up. Kari was still far too intuitive and, to be frank, Tai was an awful liar. It was in his body language, in his tone of voice, probably even in the way his face twitched. They may have the same eyes, but Kari could hide anything in hers, while Tai's were almost an open book.

"Okay, I'll tell mom you won't be home for dinner," Kari eventually said, making Tai heave a sigh. Very smart move when you're trying to lie to your sister. Thankfully his sister knew when to pry, so she only raised an eyebrow and then shook her head, giving Tai permission to just leave. "Have fun," she called out afterwards as Tai practically sprinted out the door.

Today was their first date and Tai was incredibly nervous. Part of him was still really against this, not understanding why they were even going through with this. Years ago he had stepped away and had told Sora to go after Matt, take her chance. And it had worked out for them. They had been together ever since, and Tai thought they were happy. But now they want to include him. Why come up with this now? What changed?

Still completely absorbed in his thoughts Tai stepped out of the building, and almost ran into Sora who was standing right in front of him. "Uh," Tai said very intelligently.

"Sorry!" Sora said, lifting her hands up to emphasize her words. "I know we didn't say we were going to pick you up, but Matt and I thought it would be a nice idea." She motioned at Matt who was standing a few feet away. The guy instantly perked up and waved at them, a sweet smile on his lips. Very strange behaviour for Matt. It creeped Tai out a little. "I hope you don't mind," Sora finished, shooting up her own sweet smile.

Tai took a second to collect himself, glancing from Sora to Matt.

Sora was dressed in a cute summery dress, the white fabric adorned with flowers and beads. The pendant on her necklace hung between her bosom. Tai couldn't even think of another word, and didn't dare stare longer at her breasts. He would not deny that he had fantasized about his best friend, and he had even stared at her breasts before. But somehow now there was a different line to cross, and it felt wrong to do so already. So he focused on the pendant instead. It was a little bird. Sora once said it reminded her of Biyomon. Tai had told Matt, and Matt had given it to her for her birthday. Tai still remembered the happy smile she wore all day, showing off the necklace to anyone who wanted to see. It had made him happy too.

Matt was dressed in a very familiar black. At least he had not dressed up like Sora had done, or it seemed that way. A pair of faded black jeans with rips here and there. A t-shirt with a print of some kind of band Tai had never heard of. And the very well-known leather jacket. The one that made Tai call him a fake biker whenever he rode his scooter. It was not like Tai was ever going to tell Matt that he looked sexy in it, even if he did. The rocker look was working for Matt, really well. Annoyingly well.

Whoever thought it was a good idea for Tai to date two people who looked miles better than him. Tai didn't think he was ugly, but damn, this was almost unfair. Maybe he should buy a leather jacket too…

Knowing he had been silent for too long, and perhaps had been staring just a bit too intently, Tai knew he had to apologise. "I'm sorry," he said. "I'm just a bit nervous. Is it okay if we start things like we normally would? Just hang out."

"Yes, of course!" Sora was still quick to oblige. Part of Tai wished she wouldn't be so desperate to make him comfortable. She normally wouldn't, so why would she now? But he understood why she did it. If Tai got scared now, right in the beginning, then their date would be a very short one.

Matt decided to join them then, his ice blue eyes moving from Sora's almost awkward smile to Tai's uncomfortable face. "I think before we really mess things up and Tai runs back up to his home, we should get going," he announced in a casual tone. "We don't want to miss our reservations anyway."

"Where are we going?" Tai asked, thankful for the distraction. As long as they wouldn't say date, then he could pretend they were simply hanging out.

A smirk appeared on Matt's face as he shot a teasing look Tai's way. "You told us you wanted to be swept of your feet. I'm not going to tell you where we're going. I'm counting on the surprise to sweep you away." Very cheeky, and normally Tai wouldn't be impressed by it. But god, was he blushing now. Why? Because Matt was talking about sweeping him off his feet, and all Tai could picture was landing right into the guy's arms. And of course the guy had to be smug about it, winking at him. When did Matt get good at flirting? Tai was supposed to be the flirt here!

Sora chuckled at Matt's teasing, and then noticed Tai's blush as well. She looked almost fondly up at him. God, they really were going to be the death of him, weren't they? "Yeah, we should get going," Sora mused, and then tugged at Tai's arm to get him to move.

They didn't hold hands, or held onto each other's arms. Like they hadn't hugged in greeting either. All of them were nervous, and neither of them wanted to make the wrong move. Tai wasn't even sure yet if he wanted to hold hands, or if he wanted to hug them. Not even in what way he should do that then. Whose hand would he even hold? He couldn't hold Matt's hand. That would get people staring very quickly. It was still a very uncommon thing for two men to be together. Though three people being together was possibly even stranger.

A brush of a hand against his pulled Tai's attention to Matt, who was walking beside him. Sora was on his other side and had been babbling away about something. Tai wasn't sure for how long, but they had been walking for a little while already. He really had no idea where they were going.

"You know we are nervous too, right?" Matt said, shooting a little smile Tai's way as a reassurance.

But Tai had no idea what Matt was getting at. As far as he could tell they were finally behaving normal, and he was kind of at ease. If he didn't count his inner musings about holding hands. So he just shot Matt a confused look.

Shaking his head Matt let a chuckle fall from his lips. "Alright well Sora has been talking about a flower bouquet she purchased a few days for about five minutes now, and you have actually been replying to it. You two are having a conversation about flowers."

With eyes wide Tai looked over at Sora, who wore the same expression, and then he just slapped himself against the forehead. "I can't believe it, I really suck this much," he muttered.

"You?!" Sora added. "I'm the one who has been talking about flowers for apparently the past five minutes!"

Pointing his finger at Matt, Tai decided to flip this around, and hopefully save his, and Sora's, dignity. "Well, instead of letting us talk about stupid stuff, why don't you say something."

It was then that they stopped moving and Matt pointed up at the building next to him. "Ah, but I am saved, because we have arrived."

The big building they were standing in front of was a laser gaming hall. They had been here before, but not as often as Tai would've liked. So it really was a good choice for their date, because Tai would definitely enjoy himself there. But Tai was not yet ready to get excited over laser game yet. He was still too focused on Matt's smug little face.

"When did you get so confident?" Tai said, again pointing a finger at Matt's face.

Unfortunately Matt was completely unfazed by this and pushed the finger away from him. "It's the jacket," he murmured, tugging the collar up as he winked at Tai again.

"Oh god, you fake biker," Tai said as he passed Matt to enter the building. "You know what I want to do with that jacket? I just want to rip it off your body and…"

The look Matt shot him made Tai shut up instantly. That was not what Tai was insinuating, but now it seemed like he was. Tai had wanted to say he would burn the hell out of the thing. Not rip it off Matt to get him… His brain had never gone that far. Tai hadn't even considered having… being intimate with Matt. With Sora that was less of a problem, even if he rather didn't think in that direction. Tai still knew how it all worked. He had dated girls. But Tai had never been with a guy. But with the way Matt rose a teasing eyebrow he was definitely considering it now.

"You suck!" Tai commented as he entered the building to create as much distance between himself, and this conversation.

 _If you're lucky_

No one had said it, but Tai sure as hell heard it in his mind. And could read it from the way Sora was slapping Matt against the arm to get him to finally keep his mouth shut. But she was grinning, enjoying this as much as Matt was. Why was Tai getting so flustered over everything? None of his dates had ever gone this way, and this one had barely even started.

Tai kept his mouth shut as Matt talked to the guy behind the register. He wouldn't know what to say anyway as a thumb swept back and forth over his hipbone, an arm casually wrapped around him as Matt said his name. How could he comment when Sora was holding his arm again, her fingers playing with his? So much for pretending.

As they geared up Tai got some time to collect himself. The harness was put on and he got the gun from one of the employees. They were a team, the red team, because that was Tai's favourite colour. Matt had to take of his leather jacket, because the harness wouldn't fit otherwise, which made Tai happy. Get rid of that stupid thing. Maybe it would get his confidence down. Not that that would be beneficial in the game.

"Time to enter the battleground!" Tai called out, and then just sprinted into the arena. He was here to beat the others, and he mostly liked going out on his own here anyway. This was how it always went. Tai would play the game by himself, but last longer than the rest. After he shot about a dozen kids Tai was circling back to see if he could actually find the other two. Would they still be in the game? Probably not.

Ducking behind a barrier he barely missed being shot by another kid. There were way too many children here. And they all needed to be terminated! With a quick roll and a bit too involved scream Tai aimed his gun at the boy and let the laser hit the centre of his chest. Another one down!

Very satisfied with himself Tai got back up and looked around. His eyes landed on a couple standing hidden away in some type of fake cave. With their arms wrapped around each other they were kissing, fervently. Nothing could distract them with the way they were enveloped in one another. Their gears blinked, meaning they were out of the game. Probably had been for a while. Tai had never really seen them like this. Had he always avoided it, or had they purposely not kissed when Tai was around?

The sound of his own gear beeping sadly pulled his attention back to the game. Someone had shot him in the back. "That's what you get for killing off my friend!" another kid yelled as he ran passed. Not a sentence you'd hear on a daily basis.

That was what finally broke the pair apart. Guiltily they looked over at Tai, deep blushes settled on their cheeks. It made Tai feel bad, because this was not how this was supposed to go. They shouldn't feel bad for kissing. They are in a relationship.

"Guys, what are we doing here," Tai called out to them in a defeated tone. "We shouldn't be doing this."

Sora instantly came running towards him and grabbed his hand, holding it up to make sure he was not going anywhere. "No, please Tai. We shouldn't have done that."

"No you should," Tai said angrily. Matt had joined them as well, lingering just a bit too close for Tai's comfort. It felt like they were trapping him, and maybe they were, or maybe it was all in Tai's head. "You should be kissing. You are together. You have been forever. And it never bothered me before, but it bothers me now, and I don't want it to bother me."

"It bothers you?" Matt asked. "Why?"

Tai could only shrug as a reply, not really knowing what to say to that. All he knew was that ever since the other two had told Tai they wanted to date him, this had started to bother him. Why? He didn't have a clue.

Blue eyes flickered down for a second and then Tai felt fingers tentatively reaching for his other hand. It wasn't as firm of a hold as Sora's, but Matt held his hand nonetheless. "We weren't really excluding you," Matt explained then, deciding not to pressure the other question. "We kissed mostly because of you."

"It's just that we've been living up to this moment for… for months," Sora said. It was the first time they actually let Tai know how long they have thought about dating him. Tai assumed it had been a few weeks, but it seemed it was a lot longer than that. "We've been dreaming of having you closer and sharing everything with you. We just…" With a blush Sora averted her eyes.

Rubbing a hand through his hair Matt seemed as embarrassed as Sora, but Tai still wasn't sure why it was him who had made the kiss happen. One of them would explain now, or they would have to let go of Tai's hands. "The conversation outside, the things you said to me, and how you responded, I…" Matt started, but then halted right when he was about to give the answer. Tai narrowed his eyes, willing the words to tumble of Matt's lips. "I wanted to kiss you, badly."

"And we know you're not ready for that," Sora then pitched in again, her maroon eyes so dark in the neon lights. "So we kind of blew of some steam by kissing each other."

Everything they said overwhelmed Tai again. His throat felt tight and he wasn't sure how to even respond to it. Why were they so good at making Tai feel special? Make him feel part of something he wasn't even sure he wanted to be part of. But the more they said, the more he wanted to.

In the end Tai went with a tease, as to not fully show his own emotions. "That sounds like you don't really want to kiss each other."

The giggle coming from Sora, and the slap of a hand against his shoulder by Matt, at least told Tai they appreciated the joke. "If we didn't want to kiss each other, we wouldn't have. Don't worry, we do still like each other," Sora said, this time choosing to wink. What was up with these winks.

"Can we get out of here," Tai then said, his mood to laser game gone. The image of the two of them kissing had not fully disappeared yet.

"Yeah, of course. We have more planned," Sora said, still holding Tai's hand as she started pulling him towards the exit.

Another kid then ran passed them, aiming its gun right at Tai, and then his harness made the sad little sound again.

"I'm already dead!"

...

Hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you thought!

And if you have any date ideas, let me know...


	3. Chapter 3

Time for another chapter! Second half of the date with some important happenings... Hope you enjoy :D

...

They were dining at their usual little café by the beach, sitting in their regular booth, ordering their standard meals. Even if the whole setting seemed very normal, it was not at all. The walk there had been spent in silence, Tai still only thinking of the kiss he had witnessed, and if this really was a good idea. It had put the other two on edge as well, Sora constantly fidgeting with her dress, while Matt kept on kicking against a can he had found on the ground.

When they had arrived at the café, they were greeted by their regular waitress. She wore the familiar sweet smile as she led them towards their booth, and all Tai could think was 'does she know?'. Of course she doesn't. But he didn't trust the glimmer in her eye.

Where everyone would be sitting was another struggle in Tai's mind, but Matt and Sora opted for sitting next to each other, which sent a sense of relief through Tai. Until he went to sit down and noticed that they now both would be looking at him. This did not improve the awkward situation at all, and Tai slunk down in his seat, hoping he'd disappear under the table. This was just not a good idea. Having this date so out in the open. A date, between the three of them, how absurd really… Who even came up with this idea? Right, the two sitting across from him.

"Tai, we-." But before Sora could really say anything, the waitress had reappeared to take their order.

"Hey guys," she greeted friendly, a big smile on her lips. One Tai always wondered if it were genuine. "Glad to have you back! Though you seem to be looking a bit glum," she commented, studying the three. "I am not interrupting something, right? I can come back in a few minutes."

And there Tai went again, thinking too far ahead. Thinking everyone was on to them. "No, no!" he said a bit too loud. "Not interrupting at all! Just a couple and their friend having dinner together!" Why he felt the need to differentiate between Sora and Matt being together, and Tai just being their friend, he wasn't sure. Tai really just didn't want to give the wrong impression. Though with his bit too loud announcement, that was exactly what he did.

The girl looked a bit taken aback by Tai's sudden outburst, who was now smiling at her weirdly. A blush then settled on her cheeks. "Oh, so… they are together?" she asked, pointing over at Matt and Sora, while keeping her eyes on Tai. "And you are their _single_ friend?" The emphasizes on single couldn't be missed, or at least was not missed by Matt or Sora. It was, of course, missed by Tai, who was still focused on explaining to her that this was not a three-way date.

"Yes, you got it! They are together, and I am not part of it!"

"Oh." The girl looked really flustered now, pulling at the hem of her apron. "Uh, well I get off at nine. Maybe we can hang out after that?"

An only then, when words spoken so clearly. When someone really showed their intentions, then Tai realised what kind of message he was relaying. As one could say was quite obvious, Tai was not great at flirting. Not at all. Either he was too dim-witted to see when someone was interested, or he was far too upfront about his intentions. This one could also be counted as one of the latter, though this was definitely not what he intended.

Guiltily he looked at the two across from him. Matt was looking quite annoyed but avoided eye contact with all of them. Sora looked rather sombre as she glanced up through her eyelashes at Tai. God, how was he going to save himself out of this one?

"Ah, sorry. I already have plans," Tai replied with a huge fake grin on his lips, trying to convince her it was all good. He had to refrain from saying _rain check!_ That would really create a mess. But then the girl stayed silent, waiting on Tai to say more. So he quickly added, "but we are ready to order." As smooth as ever. The girl didn't look confused or slightly hurt at all. He had not just created an even worse environment than they had already been in.

The usual orders were grumbled from the other side of the table, and to make up for it Tai ordered his a bit too excited. After that the girl scurried away, embarrassed by what she had offered, rejection still flushing her cheeks.

This did leave Matt, Sora and Tai on their own again.

"That was rather stupid," Matt muttered, still avoiding all eye-contact. Beside him Sora just shifted in her seat, now also avoiding looking at Tai.

And it indeed had been fairly stupid, but Tai didn't appreciate Matt calling him out like that. It was not like he had planned this, or even wanted to ask the girl out. Hell, he had been coming here for months and had never even thought of asking her out. "I just didn't want her to get the wrong idea," Tai defended, turning to face away from the couple to mimic their behaviour.

"Yeah, we got that," Matt spat, his blue eyes flashing as he finally glanced at Tai again. "You made it very clear that you are not a part of this to her, and to us. But if you feel forced into being here, then just go."

Tai could taste the spur of passion on his tongue at Matt's aggravation. Something he had experienced so often he had lost count. And normally he would reply with just as much fervour, but this time things did feel a bit different. Tai had really hurt them. He could tell by the way Matt's eyes watered a little as he turned away once more, and by the way Sora didn't feel the need to stop the fight from even happening. Tai had gone a bit too far. Had only thought on the effect it would have on him. So selfish.

"I'm sorry, I didn't…" He bit is his lip, unsure on how to even continue that sentence. Deflated he sank down deep into his seat again, feeling guilty as well on top of all the other things he was feeling.

Matt clacked his tongue in annoyance, his patience not running as vast as Sora's, who thankfully then spoke up. "We're not mad, Tai," she started, which Matt answered with an eye-roll. "You're just giving us the impression that you don't really want this, and if that's the case, then maybe we really shouldn't do this. It will then only leave us feeling hurt."

Glancing from one to the other Tai let Sora's words sink in. It's true that he had mostly been thinking that this was a bad idea. That they really shouldn't continue this. But not because the idea repulsed him or anything, not at all. It was just all so complicated. "I-I don't want to leave," he admitted. "I still just feel like I am intruding."

"But that's not the case," Sora said. She really was better at explaining these things than either of the guys were. "We asked you out. Not the other way around. You're not wriggling your way into our relationship. We are actually inviting you with open arms." A sigh escaped her, something so foreign coming from her lips. "We love you, Tai."

"And I love you too," Tai instantly shot back. "But I cannot switch from thinking Matt and Sora, to Matt, Sora and Tai so easily."

Instinctively Sora reached for Tai's hand across the table, squeezing his palm as a sign of comfort. "We get that."

"But right now, it feels like you're not even trying to picture it," Matt pitched in. His tone had turned softer than before, a hand tiredly swept through his hair. "So we're left mostly wondering if you really want to picture it."

It was not phrased as a question, but it was one. Tai saw the questioning glint in both their eyes. Fortunately, this was the moment the waitress had returned with their food and their drinks, giving him another moment to think. Because he needed one. Needed to really think about what he would answer. Admittedly he had not pictured it at all, had effectively avoided picturing it. Because he felt like he should be here, shouldn't be getting involved, for the sake of his friends. Tai kept on telling himself that they would change their mind. This was all simply something they thought of on a whim. But as he stared at his burger, Tai knew that was not the case. They would never hurt him in such way.

"I didn't picture it, because I'm afraid to," Tai whispered under his breath.

That knowing look in Matt and Sora's eyes was enough for Tai to know they understood what he meant by that. The hand Sora had retreated when the food came, was now brought back to hold Tai's hand. Under the table Matt's leg was pressed against his to comfort him even more.

"You guys got together first, and I got over that, but at first it really hurt." It was something he had never said out loud to them because it seemed silly now, and he didn't want to ruin their friendship. "And I'm afraid that I eventually will be left behind again."

Sora's hand squeezed a little harder around his. "I didn't know that," she admitted, and Tai was grateful she didn't speak with 'we' again. "I can't change what happened before, but I can tell you that how we feel now won't change either. This is not about giving this a go. We pictured it, a lot. I have so many ideas on what it could be like." The smile that had appeared on her lips made Tai's heart flutter.

"I keep imagining you in our bed on a Sunday morning," Matt said. This received a raised eyebrow from Tai, who wondered why he was instantly in a bed. "And I don't mean it that way!" Matt quickly defended. "I just see you sleeping in, taking up the entire bed as you roll around in the sheets. Not a care in the world, ready to sleep the entire Sunday away. So at peace with being there that you don't even wake up when one of enters."

Excitedly Sora looked up at Matt, that same gleeful smile still on her lips. "But of course, when one of us slides back into bed, he does want to be cuddled. But he must be the little spoon!"

"Well, I don't really want to be alone in such a big bed," Tai interjected the fantasy, blushing lightly as he let the idea run through his mind as well. He had never really been in Sora and Matt's bedroom but was suddenly very capable of picturing himself in there. "I do hog the bedsheets though."

"Of course you do," Matt said playfully.

"Oh, oh!" Sora let out, another thought crossing her mind. "I always picture all three of us watching a movie on the couch late at night. We're all bundled up together under a blanket, sharing a big bowl of popcorn, and we're all just leaning against each other. Matt hiding behind your back whenever things get too scary."

Tai had to smile at that, at all of it. At the scenes they were describing, at the excitement drummed through them as they thought of it, and at how genuinely they included Tai in all of it. "Quite mean of you to let Matt watch something scary."

"Whenever I feel like cuddles, I put on a horror movie. They might be tight hugs, but they are still hugs," Sora said matter-of-factly, sending a teasing smile up at Matt.

"Noted," was Tai's reply, who shot a similar look Matt's way.

Glancing from one to the other Matt tried to measure how screwed he really was. "You better not be ganging up on me," he retaliated.

"Then you shouldn't have decided to date two people at the same time," Tai replied, finally having the upper hand again. Matt did all the flirting in the afternoon. Magic brought on by his leather jacket. But the magic had dissipated and now Tai would be the one in charge, making Matt flustered.

But instead of being flustered, Matt turned to look at Tai, as did Sora, soft happy smiles now staining their lips. "So, we are dating?" Sora asked cheekily.

"Ah well… we did agree to go on a date, and this was it," he managed to answer, which made smiles turn even brighter. "Would be quite a dick move of me if I flirted with you if we're not dating."

After having said that the mood of the evening switched entirely. The other two shared many more moments they had pictured, exciting Tai as much as they were in process to actually have them happen. It was oddly familiar talking about these things, even if they had never done so before.

It was silly of Sora to insist they'd walk Tai home, but he loved it nonetheless. Even the way they both held his hands, Matt the right and Sora the left, swinging his arms back and forth in a playful manner. In the dark Tai could let them. No one would notice, no one would see. He just kept telling himself that as they took the long way home, talking about random subjects that didn't really interest anyone, and therefore everyone.

When they reached his house, Tai realised he had no idea how to even say goodbye. What was he supposed to do? Releasing their hands Tai turned around with his back now to his apartment building. He shot them both a look, uncertainty clear in his deep brow eyes.

Sora stepped up first, biting her lip as she glanced up at Tai. "I had a great time today," she murmured. "Thank you for going on this date with us. I hope you'll go out with us soon again." The light of the building showed a red blush now dusting Sora's cheeks, and Tai didn't suspect a thing, just nodding at her words as she spoke them. Until Sora stood on her toes and laid the softest of kisses on unsuspecting lips. It started as a peck, and then another one, and another one, until Tai finally responded. It was soft and sweet and didn't last nearly long enough. He was faintly aware of hand placed on his hip, right until Sora stepped away.

With hazy eyes he looked right into familiar blue eyes, a question lying in them. _May I?_ Tai would never admit it, but it was him who took the first step here, finding the question ridiculous. Of course Matt could kiss him, could always kiss him. No matter how tentative his lips were moving over Tai's, Tai would coax him further. There was no need to be insecure here. Not with Tai. Not when it was between him, Sora and Tai.

When they broke apart Matt licked his lips before completely stepping away. "Now I don't have to picture that anymore," he murmured.

"I was just pleasantly surprised," Tai said cheekily, getting a shake of the head of Matt, and a giggle falling from Sora's lips. The embarrassment had caught up with her as well.

"Should we, uh, text about the next date?" Matt asked carefully, running a hand through his blond locks.

Smirking lightly at Matt, Tai responded, "Yeah, I feel like a horror movie would be fun next." He then proceeded to wink at Sora. Those two kisses really gave him a confidence boozed. Probably not the best thing for his ego.

"Oh, eat a dick," Matt replied, pulling Sora by the hand to lead her away from Tai.

"Buy me dinner first!" Tai called out.

"Just did!" Matt shot over his shoulder.

Perhaps not having pictured anything was much better. Having shared this moment had been incredible, and so far, it was his favourite moment with Sora and Matt. Maybe Tai could get used to things not being normal.

...

And was it a good ending? Looking forward to a next scene?


End file.
